Frost & Sullivan Releases 2015 Buyers' Guide for Hosted/Cloud Unified Communications

Guide enables businesses to align their technology roadmap and business objectives with the most appropriate cloud UC service provider.

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Frost & Sullivan

Apr 22, 2015, 07:45 ET

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted/Cloud UC services is the fastest-growing market in the UC industry, with revenues projected to exceed $9 billion in North America by 2020. Frost & Sullivan has released the 2015 Hosted/Cloud UC Buyer's Guide, featuring the top providers in North America. This one-of-a-kind and comprehensive report compares the top 20 providers in terms of their solution offerings, pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and offers recommendations for buyers.

Selecting the right provider requires a complex and structured approach that pursues benefits beyond features and functionality.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, 2015 Hosted Unified Communications Buyers' Guide (http://www.frost.com/neba), finds that a structured approach to hosted communications deployment can ensure higher returns on investment through reduced costs and greater business benefits.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://bit.ly/1bfMsdr

"In this intensely competitive market, it is essential that business decision makers perform their due diligence and thoroughly assess the best fit for their specific needs," said Frost & Sullivan Unified Communications & Collaboration Program Director Elka Popova.

To future-proof their hosted communications investments, businesses must assess their existing infrastructure, IT staff skill sets, and end-user needs. Next, they need to evaluate service providers based on a comprehensive set of criteria such as, features and functionality, ease of use, security, infrastructure and endpoint requirements, as well as integration capabilities.

In addition to enabling customers to free up resources and focus on their core business, hosted/cloud communications can:

Reduce CAPEX and streamline OPEX
Facilitate the integration of multiple technologies and tools in an end-to-end solution
Enable distributed organizations to more flexibly support mobile workers and remote branches
Lower the risk of technology obsolescence and sunk costs
Bestow access to superior technology expertise

Small and large enterprises will continue to have different requirements in terms of functionality, service reliability and price. Small businesses tend to opt for hosted IP telephony services that offer competitive pricing, ease of use, and efficient sales and provisioning. In comparison, medium and large business customers seek advanced features, flexible customization, and more extensive integration options. Overall, providers that offer the best perceived value are the ones that combine vision, technology innovation, differentiated functionality and service delivery models, superior customer service, and strong performance metrics.

"Service providers will continue to engage in mergers and acquisitions to accelerate growth and leverage synergies for greater profitability. They will also seek to enhance their channels to expand market reach and improve customer service and support," noted Popova. "Prospective customers must take into account providers' long-term viability and channel strategies to develop sustainable partnerships, as well as reduce risks and potential switching costs."

2015 Hosted Unified Communications Buyers' Guide is part of the Enterprise Communications (http://www.enterprise.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program.

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2015 Hosted Unified Communications Buyers' Guide
NEBA-64

Contact:
Clarissa Castaneda
Corporate Communications – North America
P: 210.477.8481
F: 210.348.1003
E: [email protected]

http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan